A Dodgers "Happy People Doll"

Check out this little Dodger troll I ran into on eBay (auction link).  It stands a sizable 4.5" and wears a Dodger jersey that looks more like a poncho than a uniform.  It definitely has a haphazard slipshod appearance.  I bet this trinket could have been found in some horrible little shop in the bad part of town.

Still, I needed to find out more about it.  When was it made, and who made it?  Is it some slapped about concoction created by a bored mother hoping to make a child smile?  Maybe it was an attempt to capitalize on the teams popularity, so they churned these out for pennies and sold them to kids with a less than discerning eye.  Or, was this actually sold by the team?

Where the heck does this come from?

After a little bit of research the answer has been revealed.  This plastic troll-like figurine is an actual Dodgers product that was once sold out of their mail-order catalog in the 60's.  As proof check out the pic below. 

Here is a copy of a 1966 Dodgers mail order catalog.  If you look closely you'll see the exact same doll at the middle of the page.  For the price of $1.50 you can get a Dodger "Happy People Doll." Wow.  All I can say is that's a terrible name for the product.

More searching discovered another "Happy People Doll" on eBay, and as you can see this one has been out in the sun way too long (auction link). 

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Blog Kiosk: 9/15/2015 - Dodger Links - Seager, Schebler and Adrian Gonzalez

How 'bout those kids!

Sure, we can talk about how we got another fantastic start from Clayton Kershaw, but that's getting boring.  The guy's a beast out there - we all know that -  and we all have come to expect near-perfection from him.  Instead, lets focus some attention on a couple of rookies who are taking the opportunities given to them to make their mark on the club.

There is no doubt in mind that Corey Seager is the future.  He continues to impress with his bat and his glove.  Last night he recorded a couple more hits to raise his season slash to 432/.543/.676.  Best yet, he's scoring runs and driving them home.  By season's end he may very well become our playoff starting shortstop.

Scott Schebler, although not as polished and flashy as Seager, has held his own with the Dodgers.  Last night he hit an important two-run jack in the eighth inning to give the club a couple of important insurance runs.  Given how wobbly Hatcher looked in the ninth we really needed those.  Overall, Schebler has shown that he can still hit for power in the big leagues.  So far he's slashing .261/.320/.652 - not too shabby.

The photo above of Scott Schebler high-fiving Corey Seager in the eighth inning via @Dodgers on twitter.  BTW, the Dodgers "Magic Number" is now at 12.  Below are more links to check out:

• What a deal!  Via Chris Cwik at Big League Stew, "Corey Seager's first home run ball was traded for a David Peralta autograph."

So, when Seager hit his first career home run Saturday, we expected the ransom to be pretty substantial. The hit came on the road against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and provided an excellent chance for an opposing fan to leverage the ball for a ton of swag. That's not what happened.

In return for Seager's first home run ball, the fan wanted an autograph ... from D-Backs outfielder David Peralta.

• Frick'n Red Sox Fans!  Via a tweet by CJ Fogler:

GIF: Red Sox at Dodger Stadium attempts to rip foul ball out of Adrian Gonzalez's glove, sudden realization hits pic.twitter.com/aRdGabLKH7

— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) September 15, 2015

• BTW, Adrian Gonzalez was named the Dodgers nominee for the 2015 Roberto Clemente Award.  This recognizes a Major League Baseball player who best represents the game through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement. Per a press release:

“It’s truly an honor to be our club’s Roberto Clemente Award nominee,” said Gonzalez. “Roberto Clemente was an exemplary man, a great player and humanitarian. I’d like to thank the Dodgers and MLB for this very special recognition that means so much to me and my family.”  

• Via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA, "Dodgers have a chance for best LA home record."
• Chad Moriyama at Dodgers Digest takes a look at Joc Pederson and some of the recent adjustments he's made: "Joc Pederson, his hands, and his September comeback."
• Via Steve Bourbon at MLB.com, "Speedy rookie Peraza likely lost for season."
• Awesome!  I love these kind of stories.  Featured is a gold watch with a Brooklyn Dodgers Ebbets Field Lifetime Pass engraved on its back.  It was originally given by Walter O'Malley to Lt. Col. Anthony F. Story.  Via James Barron at the New York Times, "A Watch With Lifetime Access to Ebbets Field Has Mysterious Origins."
• Dodger Penguin shares his 2008 Clayton Kershaw Major League debut ticket stub.  Check it out here.
• Bob Lemke passes along an interesting tidbit about Negro League ballplayer Sam Jethroe, here.  Jethroe was in the Dodgers farm system before his debut with the Boston Braves in 1950.

At spring training with the Dodgers in Vero Beach on March 26, 1949, Sam Jethroe was unofficially clocked at 6.1 seconds in the 60-yard dash. That time tied the world’s record, and he had done it in full uniform and baseball spikes.

By comparison, Rickey Henderson ran the 60 in 6.4 seconds.

The current record for the outdoor 60-yard dash seems to be 5.99 sec.

Keep in mind that Sam Jethroe was 32-years old at the time.

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